Not another explainer article — an actual calculator where you enter your purchase amounts. Built on official data from Japan's Tourism Agency and National Tax Agency.
Add each purchase from this trip — items are grouped by store automatically
Previously done after security; now you must complete it before security, before checking your bags — arrive at the airport earlier than you used to.
Customs check must be completed within 90 days of purchase, at departure. No refund after that.
If even one item from a receipt is missing, none of the items on that receipt qualify for a refund. Double-check before you leave.
Special sealed packaging is gone, but if you consume food or cosmetics inside Japan before departure, that portion won’t qualify for a refund.
Once your suitcase is handed to the airline, you can’t get it back. If the kiosk flags you for a customs inspection but your purchases are already in checked luggage, you can’t complete the process. Keep the items with you until you see the kiosk result.
The kiosk takes only a few seconds from passport scan to result. Only travelers flagged for inspection must show their items to a customs officer — that step is the hardest to predict, and why officials keep urging you to arrive early.
Spendlo scans your receipts by photo and calculates automatically, grouped by store, so you can check your running refund total anytime during the trip. This calculator is for a quick estimate — for full receipt management, try Spendlo.
Learn about Spendlo →According to Japan Tourism Agency public information, there is no standard fee and no standard rule on who pays it — it depends on each store and refund operator. Ask at purchase. This site’s calculator does not deduct any fee.
Official public information only urges you to “arrive early” and gives no specific number of hours. The kiosk takes seconds; the unpredictable part is the wait to show your items to customs if you’re flagged for inspection.
Official public information does not explain the criteria, so you can’t predict it. The practical way to reduce risk is to arrive early and keep your purchases with you.
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha, you can use Visit Japan Web instead of the kiosk — online, from within the international departures hall’s dedicated Wi-Fi area (before security).
The store or refund operator pays you after customs confirms you took the items out. The method (bank transfer, credit card, QR payment, app, or cash at the airport) varies by store, and you’ll be asked to register it at purchase. Official public information shows no standard deadline, so keep your receipts and QR code and check each operator’s deadline.
Yes. A refund is only paid after customs confirmation, so if you don’t complete the process no refund is paid — it’s your choice. If you’ve already used some items, officials say don’t use the kiosk — tell the customs counter instead.
For domestic-to-international connections, process it at your final departure airport from Japan, not your first connection.
There’s no flexibility — if the check isn’t completed, there’s no refund, and airlines/customs offer no compensation. Arrive early.
Customs may ask for an appraisal or warranty document — ask the store to prepare one at purchase.